Air India Fined Rs 1 Lakh for Providing Faulty Seats to Passenger

In an unfortunate travel experience, Retired Admiral Anil Kumar Saxena faced significant discomfort on a round-trip flight from Delhi to Toronto with Air India. Despite paying a substantial amount for his premium return flight, Saxena encountered malfunctioning seats on both legs of his journey.

Saxena’s ordeal began on his outbound flight from Delhi to Toronto, where his premium seat failed to recline properly. The airline crew attempted to fix the seat, but the technician responsible for repairs was asleep for three hours. After an hour of unsuccessful attempts, Saxena was relocated to another seat, which he found unsatisfactory given the high price he had paid.

The troubles persisted on Saxena’s return flight from Toronto to Delhi on June 24, 2023. The controls for his business class seat were non-functional, forcing him to sit awkwardly for over 14 hours. This caused him significant discomfort, including backache, sleeplessness, and fatigue.

After receiving no response to his complaints via email, Saxena sent a formal notice to Air India on August 28, 2023, requesting a refund and compensation. air india acknowledged the inconvenience and offered Rs 1.18 lakh in non-transferable travel vouchers (75 percent of the ticket value) and an additional Rs 10,000 for the return journey. Saxena rejected this offer, seeking a full refund and additional compensation for mental agony and litigation costs.

Saxena subsequently filed a suit in the South Mumbai district consumer disputes redressal commission. He demanded a refund of Rs 2,36,000 with 18 percent annual interest from the payment date, along with Rs 1,00,000 for mental agony and Rs 50,000 for litigation costs.

The commission found Air India guilty of providing deficient service and practising unfair trade practices. They ordered the airline to pay Rs 80,000 for mental agony and Rs 20,000 for litigation costs within 30 days. The commission acknowledged Saxena’s significant discomfort due to the defective seats and Air India’s negligence, mandating the compensation for the distress and inconvenience caused.